It’s a constant conversation that singers, pianists, teachers, coaches, and casting directors all have. Should your music be in a page protector or not?!? ERRMEGRDDD WHO KNOWS?!?!?!?

It ain’t that deep. It really is YOUR preference. If your music is neat and organized and the holes are intact and the pages are easy to turn then you don’t need a page protector for them. If your music is a little crinkled and the holes are torn, or if it’s freshly printed and the pages are static and sticking together, then throw them in a sheet protector.

That should be obvious, but you’d be surprised. It goes along with my previous post about the condition of your music

When it comes to page protectors, I’d really recommend getting decent ones that are non-glare. (Although to be honest, the glare will always happen if the piano is at the wrong angle…lights reflect off plastic, it’s science) You can get nice ones that will hold up at Staples or you can go to your nearest office supply store and find sturdy ones there.

It’s really just using common sense. If you hate them because they’re bulky, then don’t use them. But you better have some solution for when your music rips or the holes tear. Either have a page of hole reinforcements or a few spare page protectors in the back.

If your music is in good shape and you want to leave it unprotected, then make sure it’s DOUBLE SIDED FRONT AND BACK. Single sided pages make for more page turns and that’s annoying. Staple or tape the music so it’s front and back or make sure it’s a double sided print job.

As Musical Theater performers your rep book is a form of identity. A friend should be able to pick up your lost book (don’t lose your book) and identify who’s it is by the song list.

Your rep book, most of the time, is housed in a binder. It should be obvious that that binder should be in good condition, no: great condition.

Things your binder SHOULD NOT have:

broken rings

rings that don’t close

rings that overlap

covers that fall off

a width that is greater that 2 inches, preferably 1.5”

a cover that closes / doesn’t stay open by itself.

These should all be obvious, but you would be surprised at how many of these things happen on the regular. Invest in a good binder, it’s the sign of a good professional. Music falling out in the audition because the rings aren’t closing makes for a sloppy audition. And again as I’ve said before, you should SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS in the room.

Go to staples.com and order a couple. Keep them and switch them out when you need to. Good binders make for a good audition.

Here’s the thing people: The casting director (CD) wants you to get hired.

When they make appointments and set up a full day of auditions to put in front of the creative team, they think about what they’re doing.

They wouldn’t make a list of people they hoped would fail in front of the team, and they’re not trying to trick you or make you sweat blood for anyone.

They want you to succeed. (They want to look smart, obvi…)

One thing I’ve noticed a few times in various rooms is that people are quick to throw the CD under the bus. They do so in ways that are subtle enough that they probably don’t know that they’re doing it.

One way people inadvertently make the CD look bad: “Oh I never got those sides…” I can assure you, most CD’s will send the sides you’ll need for any audition moving forward in the first email. They won’t want to make more work for themselves than they already have. So if you didn’t print off the side and suddenly realize that then say so. Don’t say you never got the sides and try and make it seem as though it was THEM that made the mistake. Shady bitches…

Another way is by canceling last minute or stringing the team along. If you know way in advance that you’re not going to take the job because you have a better offer or because you would never leave the show you’re at, then don’t audition. Don’t tell the CD that you are interested in the first place. Dick move brah…

Often these casting directors are fighting for you in the room, they’re finding ways of making you look more appealing to the team through any way possible. So when you blow off an audition or turn them down last minute it doesn’t look great on them.

With the advent of the iPad, people are saving tons of printing time, paper, and money. I’ve noticed a few more people each month bringing their “books” into auditions in their iPad, and I think it’s great.

But here’s the thing: you have to be careful. Some pianists hate playing from them, or are unfamiliar with them. (That will disappear in time)

I shouldn’t have to tell you this…but:

YOU WANT THE PIANIST TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR MUSIC.

And if you are using an iPad, please use software that has page turn capabilities. No one wants to continually scroll up while playing… we use both hands to play… most of the time.

Use ForScore, or even the Musicnotes app (although I have a note about musicnotes music, more later). And the screen should not be broken or shattered. – useyerbrain

The page turn should be a tap or a swipe like turning a page… like tinder.

Again, you should gauge the room and the pianist. I’m not trying to age anyone out, but I once sat in auditions with an older gentleman playing, and when he went to turn the page, he swiped the iPad so hard that it flew off the shelf as tho it was paper… He didn’t flinch, and the iPad shattered.

This medium is more familiar to the pianistic community now, so that problem is less common. But beware.

People walk into the audition room with pieces of paper that look like they were washed, tumble-dried, and carried in the bottom of their bag with their Laducas .

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a million more times… set yourself up for success.

Y’all, broken music is the opposite of that.. Would you go to the gym without stretching? Would you play golf(sportsball) with broken clubs? Would you do yoga with no mat? Would you eat Indian food with no bathroom near? Would you use a headshot from when you were 13?… well, some of you might, but still… set yourself up for a win.

A hole punch should be circular. Not a broken circle, not a half circle because you missed.

You can purchase hole reinforcers at Staples.com or at your nearest office supply store. Buy them. When the hole rips – which it will – reinforce it.

If your music looks like it was used to write the Declaration of Independence, then it’s probably time to reprint your music. Spend the money, it’s worth it.

If your music is covered in pencil/pen to try and explain what your cut is… and the chords you want the cut played in… then it’s probably time to hire someone (me) to type it out for you in a new pretty cut that is easy for a pianist to read. Spend the money on your own pretty sheet music that is for your pretty cut and pretty face.

The list goes on. But it’s important. Nice music makes for a nice audition.

There is no “right way” to mark a cut, but there are wrong ones. If the cut is marked and the pianist understands it, then it’s probably ok. I’ll tell you what is a problem though, not marking anything and just telling the pianist that after they play that 3 pages of Guettel that they have to turn four pages and play the last half of the 8th page and then then cut to the last 12 bars… and not marking it. I assure you, they will forget and it will be a train wreck.

Set yourself up for success.

Mark your cuts with bold pencil marks, or cut and paste and make an arts and crafts project out of it.

Here’s a picture of a well-marked cut spot: (GASP How could you cut DEH?!? easy…)

Block out the section you are not singing:

Mark where the pianist should cut to:

It’s not brain surgery. It really isn’t, but you have to do the work. If you’re worried about cutting a section that you love and will want to sing again someday then print a second copy. Trust me, prepping the music is worth the effort and cost of a second print. If you’re using an iPad, most software (at least the apps you should be using [hold for future post about iPads]) have features to write on the music or white out sections you aren’t using.

Again, you can copy cut and paste the music physically to make it a one page moment instead of having two half pages (I saw this in a girl’s book and I think it’s an example that any pianist could read) :

Just make sure it’s neat and makes sense musically. Have a pianist or musician look at the cut and see that it makes musical sense and would be an easy transition.

Make sure there are no key changes that happened in the cut material. If you want the cut to work so badly but there is a key change in the middle, then buy the music in a lower/higher key (depending on the key change…is it up or down?) so that the section you’re cutting to is in the same key as the section you’re cutting from. Again, ask a musician friend to help you with this if you need to! No shame in properly cut music!

I’ll start with my name. I’m Rodney. The past 6 years I’ve played more auditions than I can count and coached hundreds if not thousands of singers on their auditions and material. This blog will be mostly my thoughts on all things audition and actor related, with anecdotes and things that people behind the table hate…and maybe some things they love.

There will also be large amounts of space dedicated to an often overlooked and scoffed at crippler in the world: anxiety. As an artist with pretty debilitating anxiety, I will share with you some of my journey on finding a way to manage the monster.

I hope you enjoy! And if you do or don’t, leave a comment and let me know what you’d like to hear about!